Tottenham Hotspur could take the field without three of their first team regulars when they play battle North London rivals Arsenal on Saturday afternoon. Defender Kyle Walker and forwards Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon could be missing fron the crucial clash owing to hamstring injuries that forced the trio to withdraw from this week's international friendly against Sweden, reported the Independent.

The three stars will be examined tomorrow to judge their fitness for the upcoming game. Lennon's discomfort forced AVB to pull him off late in the game when Spurs lost 2-1 to Manchester City last weekend. Walker also seemed to be in pain when he limped off at the end of the match, while Defoe came off the bench for a 10-minute cameo as Emmanuel Adebayor took up a starting role on that evening.

AVB has made a mixed start to his first season in charge at White Hart Lane as Tottenham sit in seventh place, with 16 points from 11 games. Arsenal sit a point and a place below Spurs and AVB would naturally expect his side to come out on top given Arsenal's recent defensive frailties.

Tottenham will sorely miss their top scorer Defoe, should he remain unavailable for the game as Adebayor looked sluggish when he started against Man City, and well short of match fitness. Spurs fans will pray for no more injuries to key players who have been called up for international duty as Tottenham aim for a top four finish to return to the Champions League next season.